Reference For Creating Your own Emergency Action Plans When Renting from the HWCDSB

All site supervisors of organizations renting from the HWCDSB are responsible for the safety of the participants/ membership while in our facilities so we have provided guidelines to help you create your own EAP.
Please use the above posted pdf document - Emergency Action Plan1 to create your own EAP.

The HWCDSB is pleased to announce that effective immediately we are accepting credit cards as a source of payment for your permits. We have partnered with Moneris Solutions to process all credit card transactions. The Board is compliant with PCI DSS and the Card Association Compliance Program. All you have to do is register your credit card on eBASE and on the last day of every month your groups outstanding accounting balance will be charged to the credit card. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Kim Palango 905) 525-2930 ext 1776
To add a credit card to your account for authorization of online method of payment go to the gear icon "options" on your account. Under the Billing tab, press "Add a new card" and input your credit card information. You will need name of cardholder, credit card type, card number and expiry date. We now accept payment by cheque, mastercard and VISA.

Weekday evening rental bookings are automatically cancelled when schools are closed during the day due to inclement weather.

For Weekend bookings, school closure and subsequent rental cancellations are at the discretion of the Director of Education and are done so before 7am. Every effort will be made to co-ordinate snow removal and school opening for these events, however in severe instances, opening may be delayed or cancelled.

To book a Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board facility, you start by creating an account in our on-line data base by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Users must:

- be 18 years of age or older.

- have a valid e-mail account that can receive account information and approved permits.

- agree to the Rules and Regulations (lower on this page)

- submit a Hold Harmless Agreement for each site (see PDF below)

- provide a certificate of insurance in the amount of $2 million for Liability Insurance naming the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board as an ‘additional insured’. If a group or organization is not able to provide a valid certificate of insurance, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board will purchase insurance on their behalf. The cost of insurance coverage will be reflected on the permit.

For more information, see the OSBIE Facility User Group Insurance FAQ below (PDF).

If you wish to purchase insurance through the Board please contact the Rental Office for current insurance rates.

Choose a facility that will suit your needs. The new on-line software provides access to hundreds of school facilities across the Hamilton-Wentworth region, such as gymnasiums, lecture rooms, secondary school classrooms and cafeterias. To check availability before making your request, check out the online calendar where you can select a school and facility (cafe, single gym, double gym, etc.) to see what is currently available.

Once an application has been approved, a permit will be electronically issued. You will need to check the approved dates listed on the permit as some may have been removed. Please print a copy of your permit. A current copy of the permit should be with the group at all times.

Schools have exclusive use of their space on school days from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. Community Use space is available for rentals from September through June, Monday to Friday from 6:00 – 10:00 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays.

Periods of exception such as designated holidays, Christmas break, March break and the summer vacation period may be permitted at the discretion of the school Principal. During the holiday periods, all custodial staff works the day shift. Permits approved during the evening will reflect custodial overtime costs where applicable.

Summer rentals are limited to camps during the day at schools where we have custodial staff. Custodial staff need to get our schools cleaned for the upcoming school year as well as take vacation during the summer months. Evening rentals will not be supported throughout the summer.

SEE pdf document for new Rates and User Categories effective OCT 1, 2016 above under the ANNOUNCEMENTS section

USER GROUP CATEGORIES AND RATES

Hours for community use during which fee structure is available: School Day: Monday to Friday excluding holidays 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cate-gory

Type

Description

Example of Use

1

SCHOOL USE and BOARD USE ONLY

Internal Use by Hamilton Wentworth CatholicDistrict School Board for Board relatedactivities and covered by Board insurance

2

NON PROFIT YOUTH PROGRAMS

( In order to claim not-for-profit status you must provide:*a registered charitable organization number*if incorporated, copy of letters patent*if not incorporated, a signed affidavit from the executivedirector and a financial statement confirmingstatus as a not-for-profit organization )

( In order to claim not-for-profit status you must provide:*a registered charitable organization number*if incorporated, copy of letters patent*if not incorporated, a signed affidavit from the executivedirector and a financial statement confirmingstatus as a not-for-profit organization )

Participants must be under 18 years of ageFees are charged for program participationPrograms run by recognized not for profitOrganizations (regular weekly youth activities)

Youth leadership, mentoring,sport or recreation run bycommunity organizations where a participationfee is charged

Volunteer run youth sporting or recreationprograms where coaches, organizers, etc. arevolunteers and all revenue is re-investedback into the organization

4

NON PROFIT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

( In order to claim not-for-profit status you must provide:*a registered charitable organization number*if incorporated, copy of letters patent*if not incorporated, a signed affidavit from the executivedirector and a financial statement confirming statusas a not-for-profit organization )

Community programming aimed at adultsover the age of 18 years oldPrivate community groups / individual-runprograms for non-commercial, not for profitpurposesCharitable, Cultural, and fundraising events

Special interest groupsAdult sport/recreational activities or leagues

5

ENTERPRISE( run by not for profit or profit organizations )

Any Community Program run as an expressenterprising activity in which user fees arecharged in order for the program to be able tosustain itself

The HWCDSB is committed to keeping rental rates low, however,when fixed funding limits for Community Use of Schools set by the Ministry of Educationare reached, the subsidized rate may not apply.

Please be advised that our subsidized rates for not for profit organizations are reviewedannually. Some subsidy limitations may apply.

Custodial ChargesWhere custodians are regularly on duty, no custodial charge related to the use of the facility shall be levied unless additional help is required for set up,supervision of large groups, and/or clean up.Weekend custodial rates at $30.00 per hour will be applied to categories 5 and 6.Please note that all groups may be charged custodial fees if bookings extend beyond the stated timeframes.Custodial fees are charged for every hour a custodian is required to be on site outside of regular working hours (minimum 3 hours).Custodial fees for opening, clean up, closing and securing the building will be added to the permit ( on average 1 hourin addition to the amount of rental hours )

Custodial RatesThe negotiated rate of $30.00 per hour is subject to change annually.

Permit cancellations and excessive revisions are subject to additional fees

If you are cancelling a weekday permit, please notify the CUS office, or cancel online and provide at minimum 5 working days’ notice.Permits cancelled with less than 5 days’ notice will not be refunded.Where you are cancelling a permit that was to occur on a weekend and custodial coverage was organized to allow weekend access to the school,please provide 7 days’ notice by cancelling online, and as a courtesy, call to inform the school or the CUS office. Weekend permits not cancelled with7 days’ notice will be responsible to pay for the custodial charges if dispatched because sufficient notice was not provided.

InsuranceEach organization/individual must provide proof of general liability coverage and submit a current copy of their certificate of insurance in a minimum of2 million dollars and naming the Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board as an additional insured.

If you cannot provide a current copy of your insurance, you may purchase insurance through the Board by indicating this when applying for your permit.

If you choose this option, payment must be received by the CUS office PRIOR to using the facility.

TaxesAll fees are subject to the appropriate taxes

The HWCDSB is committed to partnering with community groups and agencies to supplement quality community programming by providing affordable access to our schools. Rates have been reviewed and will be increasing on a phased-in basis over the next 3 fiscal years. Please refer to the tables below for all rates effective October 1, 2016.

In an effort to create affordable access to community facilities, the Government of Ontario has developed the Community Use of Schools Grant which allows the HWCDSB to provide subsidized rental rates for not-for-profit groups to use school facilities outside of regular school hours. Subsidies are offered on an annual basis and contingent upon ministry funding.

The application approval shall protect, indemnify and save harmless the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, its employees or agents, from all claims for damages that may arise out of the use of facility by the applicant.
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No advertising will be permitted on School Board property. Any advertising for the activities, which identify the school as the location, shall carry the disclaimer "Program not supported or endorsed by Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board" unless permission is otherwise obtained.

No parking is permitted on lawns or asphalt play areas. Parking must be restricted to the facility parking lots.

Organizations whose policies or activities are inconsistent with the Church, Canada or the mission/vision of the Board shall not be granted use of any property of the Board.

No storage space is granted to outside organizations except with the permission of the Principal of the school concerned.

Custodial staff is on duty for the care and protection of school property and not as supervisors of an activity in progress.

The Facility Rental Services will monitor and record group activity complaints received and take appropriate action.

Any cost incurred for clean-up/vandalism/loss to bring the school to the cleanliness level acceptable to the principal [Education Act, S.265 (j)] shall be charged to the permit holder.

Uses Not PermittedPrivate group uses such as wedding receptions, anniversary celebrations, Pageant Shows, birthday parties, Live Animal Shows, Estate auctions and similar private gatherings.
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With the exception of the school or parish, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

Any activity which could result in damage to school facilities is prohibited.

Any use which interferes with the normal day-to-day operations of the schools shall not be allowed.

Any use of grass fields - [Turf rentals allowed and arranged by contacting Nustadia]

Permit ResponsibilitiesAdequate adult supervision is required by all rental groups and for the entire duration of permitted use of space at Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board facilities. An adult is a responsible person who is 18 years of age or older.
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When groups are renting multiple spaces in a facility, there must be a supervisor in charge of each area (i.e. when multiple classrooms are used, there must a supervisor for each classroom).

It is the responsibility of the permitted user to ensure that their participants remain within the designated rental area(s), that damage to the building and grounds is not permitted, and that all group participants leave the school on or before the ending time of the rental permit. Youth group members must not enter the facility before the adult supervisor arrives.

For the safety of the participants, the caretaker will open the doors 15 minutes prior to the permitted time and lock the doors 15 minutes after. Any entry after that time to allow parents coming and going, must be facilitated by a responsible organizational designate or the site supervisor. Caretakers have other duties to attend to and are not responsible for this purpose.

To ensure that proper footwear (e.g. running shoes on gym floors) must be worn by the active participants of the permit group.

Smoking is not permitted in Board facilities or on Board property. The permit holder shall be responsible for enforcing this regulation.

Permit holders, who use facilities or grounds, must leave them in suitable condition for the operation of school programs. Please tidy up after yourselves and place water bottles and garbage in appropriate receptacles. This will ensure that our doors are kept open to the community for use. Thank you for respecting our facilities.

Safety and SecurityIn order to comply with the Board’s Emergency Preparedness Procedures the person(s) supervising the event must be aware of the following:
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- location of floor plan of school with Emergency Exits noted thereon ( please contact Kim Palango for drawings of the building you are renting );
- emergency contact # of the PasWord Protection Services (905) 522-6680 who will in turn contact the Board’s Manager on call in the event of an emergency

Exits must be kept free from any obstruction. Exterior doors are to be locked at all times and are not to be wedged open. If necessary, a monitor is to be stationed at the door to admit latecomers.

Permit holders are empowered, and it is a condition of the granting of the permit, to act as the Board's agent regarding trespassers on Board property during the authorized rental period and where the permit holder has reasonable and probable grounds to believe a person is on the premises without permission or is carrying on a prohibited activity on the premises. Where the offending person refuses to leave the premises as directed, the permit holder shall immediately notify a member of the custodial staff who will call for the assistance of a police officer. If the custodial staff member is not available, the permit holder shall notify the police directly.

Liability and InsuranceRental groups and organizations are required to acknowledge having read the following liability and insurance conditions and thereby agree to adhere to them:
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1. The application approval shall protect, indemnify and save harmless the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, its employees or agents, from all claims for damages that may arise out of the use of facility by the applicant.
2. During the use and occupation of the permitted use of Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board space(s), the permit holder shall indemnify and save harmless the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, its officials, trustees, employees and agents from and against any and all liability whatsoever resulting from injury or damage to person, persons or property by reason of or as a result of the use and occupation of the premises directly or indirectly. The Board will not be responsible for personal injury or for the loss or damage to personal belongings of participants or spectators inside the building or on the property.
3. All users groups must provide proof of insurance through our online system.
4. Organizations shall request and deliver to the Board a certificate of insurance from their insurance broker for General Liability insurance in the amount of $2M, naming “Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board” as an additional insured on the certificate of insurance.
5. If a group or organization is not able to provide a valid certificate of insurance, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board will purchase insurance on their behalf. The cost of insurance coverage will be reflected on the permit.
- For more information, click here to view the OSBIE Facility User Group Insurance FAQ.
- If you wish to purchase insurance through the Board please contact the Facility Rental Services for current insurance rates.

Contact Us

If your question relates to a particular permit, please use the 'Discussion' area of the permit to contact us.

To obtain help in determining space and school availability, or if have a general inquiry about our spaces, please call Kim at 905) 525-2930 ext 1776

Payment is to be made by CHEQUE and / or Mastercard or VISA
The HWCDSB is pleased to announce that effective immediately we are accepting credit cards as a source of payment for your permits. We have partnered with Moneris Solutions to process all credit card transactions. The Board is compliant with PCI DSS and the Card Association Compliance Program. All you have to do is register your credit card on eBASE and on the last day of every month your groups outstanding accounting balance will be charged to the credit card.
Cheques made payable to:
The Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board - Facility Rentals.

Priority Schools Initiative

The Priority Schools Initiative (PSI) is a joint project between the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board and the Ministry of Education aimed at making HWCDSB school spaces more accessible to the community. The objective is to improve overall student achievement by providing quality, affordable, after-school programs for students, parents and their community.